2nd Annual Winter Solstice Community Singing Ritual

We are living in dark times. Sometimes when there is nothing we can say to ease the pain, we can sing. Join us for a Winter Solstice Community Singing Ritual, honoring the darkest days of the year. Often the solstice is celebrated as the returning of the light, but in our grief-phobic society, that can feel like a spiritual bypass. You’re invited to explore the dark season through a unique blend of community singing, meditation, and ritual through the framework of the Work That Reconnects (Joanna Macy)— a method that helps us feel deeply connected to each other and the world.

Join community song leader Sarah Bentley, musician & ritualist Gregory Alexander, and friends in learning and singing songs to mark this seasonal holy-day. This ritual is an invitation to sing yourself home and embody all the parts of yourself that long for peace, joy, and belonging. We will sing songs born out of grief, curiosity, remembering, and ancestral honoring. As we connect with the resonance of these songs, may we experience our heart & body as one, and remember our shared humanity, as well as our connection to the Earth.

Community singing circles are open to everyone. Intentionally inclusive and family friendly. You do not have to be a “good singer” - all voices welcome! This is a safe space to explore your voice in a supportive container. We will sing easy-to-learn songs as a group, connecting us to a sense of true belonging.

Please bring a bottle of water, and perhaps a candle and/or items for the altar.
Plan to arrive around 4:45PM to get settled in the sanctuary so we can start on time.

Energy exchange: donation of $10-50 is suggested; 10% of proceeds will go to Indigenous Cultures Institute.

Co-facilitators:

Sarah S. Bentley, founder of Heart Body Song, is a song catcher, song carrier, and community song leader, based in Austin, Texas. She gracefully weaves the art of embodied singing, mindful movement, ritual, and communal prayer into her circles. Sarah started singing as a child and has performed as a singer/songwriter. Sarah incorporates qigong and meditation, as well as practices to build community resilience to provide a rich and healing experience. She has a beautiful way of creating a space where everyone feels safe expressing their voices. Sarah is a certified Sisters in Harmony song leader and offers regular women's and inclusive singing experiences around Austin and online.

Gregory Alexander on vocals and multiple instruments. Gregory Alexander is a lifelong singing musician straddling the spaces of multiple genres of music (including choral, solo, theatrical, sacred, groove-oriented pop, rock, country, and dance.). A practitioner and devotee of the improvised moment, Gregory is also a trained bodywork practitioner, Reiki Master, and Oneness Blessing giver dedicated to fostering wholeness wherever possible. He has been recognized as a “deeply gifted vocalist” and a “magician.”

Carolyn "Gahana" Bonnington came into deep resonance with the Native American flute many years ago when she began studying with indigenous teachers and opening to allow spirit and nature to play through her. Gahana is also the founder and facilitator for the Avalon Mystic's Circle http://www.AvalonMystics.com, a community dedicated to deepening our connection with nature, the natural cycles of Earth, and the mystical gifts of life.

Gahana is part of the musical duo known as Heartistry. Her music partner, Beckie Forsyth, plays alchemy crystal bowls, and they have released a CD called Inner Sanctum ~ A Soundbath Journey. Gahana is honored to share her flute medicine at memorials, ceremonies, rituals and celebrations.

Dianne Preston on percussion.

Statement of Solidarity: Heart Body Song strives to create a safe space for all and in order to do this must acknowledge the harm that people of color have experienced and in some cases still endure. For community singing to be fully inclusive and safe for marginalized people, Heart Body Song is committed to standing/singing in solidarity by taking an anti-racist stance in organizing and facilitating all of our events. Community singing is a form of collective healing and without intentional action, the white supremacist inertia of our society will continue to perpetuate harm to those who are most oppressed. Without this stance, the community singing movement's aspirations for a peaceful, loving, and sustainable world will only remain a reality for the people living in white skin.

Host or Publisher Heart Body Song ~ Sarah S. Bentley